


Promise Me The Sunrise

by SerStolas



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: Destroy Ending, F/M, Hope, Post ME3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-03 20:42:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12154416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerStolas/pseuds/SerStolas
Summary: In a quiet corner of a quiet hospital on Earth, a young Turian reads to an unconscious human.  Light years away, a Turian tries desperately to get home to the human woman he loves.





	1. Chapter 1

The young Turian woman glanced up from the datapad she held at the human laying unconscious in the hospital bed. The steady beeping of the machines that kept the human woman alive filled the Turian's ears. Her mandibles clicked together as she considered the sight. Visiting hours would be over in another hour or so, and she'd leave and go back to the makeshift apartment she was currently sharing with her father.

If three years ago you'd asked Solana Vakarian if she thought she'd be on the carefully rebuilt remains of the Citadel, sitting in the hospital room of a human in a coma, she'd had clicked her mandible and told the person to stop bothering her and find something useful to do. Now she was one of the few regular visitors to this quiet room, tucked into a ward of the rebuilt Huerta Memorial Hospital that care for long term patients. There were few visitors to this section of the hospital, and few enough patients. 

A year and a half after the Reaper War, most people had given up hope on these patients. 

Solana Vakarian was not among them. While there was a chance this woman might never wake up, Solana refused to lose hope, just as she refused to lose hope that eventually, her brother would return with the Normandy.

Her eyes flickered back to the data pad and the slightly amusing human story "Emma," written by some long dead human woman named Jane Austen. Garrus had mentioned once that it was one of Winter Shepard's favorite stories. Solana had slowly been working her way through human novels over the past several months, visiting a few days a week to read to the unconscious Shepard.

There were a handful of others that Solana had seen visit the Commander over the past few months. There were a number of humans: Zaeed Massani, Jack, Katsumi, a Jacob Taylor, all humans whose names Solana carefully memorized because they'd been friends of her human sister-in-law. There'd also been Krogen, Grunt and Wrex. There were other visitors, but none others that came more than once or twice, other than Admiral Hackett.

That had been an interesting revelation, two months after Shepard's body was recovered on the Citadel, protected carefully by Keepers, when Castis Vakarian had volunteered to assist with organizing the Turians stranded in the Sol system by the destruction of the Mass Relays. No one ever asked how the ship with an assortment of refugees of different species had reached the Sol system not long after the destruction of the relays. Solana guessed they were lucky they'd arrived anywhere, really, with the relays damaged or outright destroyed.

Winter Shepard had no living human relatives, and Castis Vakarian had just gotten out of a meeting with a half functioning Citadel Council when he'd been approached by human medical personnel and been informed that his daughter in law was in intensive care but eligible to receive visitors.

Evidently at some point before that final push, Garrus Vakarian and Winter Shepard had been married hastily by an Alliance Marine General, and Garrus Vakarian had been listed as Shepard's next of kin. Additionally, Solana and Castis had been listed as Garrus's next of kin, and somehow they'd ended up standing in a cramped hospital room, staring a the unconscious form of a human woman they'd never met, but had heard a fair amount about.

Castis had been unsettled by the whole matter. He didn't hate humans but he mistrusted them, after First Contact. Solana had, instead, stubbornly insisted that Shepard was now family, and she was going to do her duty to her family by watching over Shepard until Garrus could return.

There'd been no contact from the Normandy since the relays' destruction, and Solana didn't know if there ever would be, but she was determined to believe that her brother was still alive, and she would keep an eye on Shepard until he returned home.

"Eventually when you wake up, Father will want you two to have a bonding ceremony we can actually witness," she said conversationally to the unconscious Shepard. "I bet that like my brother, you will insist on wearing armor, and I'll paint the Vakarian clan markings on your face myself."

"It may be easier to plan a wedding ceremony when both individuals of the couple are available to talk to," a human, James Vega, if she remembered, rumbled from the door.

Solana glanced up at him, tilting her head slightly and make a low vocalization of surprise. 

"Sorry it's been a few days. They want me to start N training soon, been putting things in order. He regarded the unconscious Shepard. "Any change in prognosis?" he inquired.

Solana sighed. "Nothing new in the past month. They say the longer she sleeps, the less likely it is she will wake up."

James snorted. "Then they Lola. She'll never give up." He looked thoughtful. "Perhaps she is merely waiting for someone." He glanced back at Solana, and she could sense the undercurrent of relieved tension coming off him.

"What is it?" Solana demanded.

"The Alliance vessel Normandy SR-2 has made contact with the Citadel," James grinned. "While the crew is on short rations, all are accounted for, Scars, and the Normandy is en-route. They have been for some months, actually, but they couldn't get communications through until last night, evidently."

"Garrus is alive?" Solana tirlled, hope blossoming in her chest.

"Alive and if not entirely well, mostly whole," James replied. "And once he's back, she'll come around too."

James spoke with such conviction about the idea that Shepard would wake up, Solana found herself believing him.

For the first time in months, she felt true hope, not just the feeling of forcing herself to believe for the best.

"And she will wake up," Solana added.

James nodded. "Lola? Of course she will. Hopefully soon." 

Solana paused as she looked back at Shepard, a thought drifting through her mind. "One of the other humans, Jack I think, said they have found the human who helped bring Shepard back the first time. She worked for Cerberus once, but she turned on them in the war, and works with the human Alliance now." She met James's gaze.

James looked rather interested. "Miranda Lawson? Yeah, I've met her. I bet she could do a lot the doctors here haven't been able to. She knows Shepard pretty well, inside and out, she rebuilt Lola after all." He lifted his brows. "You're the Commander's family, aren't you? Maybe you can authorize it."

Solana smiled. She didn't know this Miranda, but evidently someone Shepard trusted did. Right now, she thought, they really didn't have a lot to loose, did they?

"Can you or Jack get in contact with her?" Solana asked.

"'Course," James said. 

Solana trilled happily, satisfied. Her brother was coming back, and hopefully her sister-in-law would wake up soon, with some help. "Then lets do this."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus deals with uncertainty on the Normandy, and finally gets some good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mass Effect belongs to Bioware

The gentle hum of the Normandy's engines filled Garrus's audible senses as he made a show of calibrating the warship's weaponry. The weapons were in as best a shape as they could be after the jimmied repairs the crew had made after they'd crash landed on that blasted jungle planet after the Normandy had fled the Sol system ahead of the destruction of the Citadel, and evidently the reapers as well.

It had taken months to repair the Normandy to a point where they could get off planet again, and Garrus had spent the majority of it burying himself in whatever work was available to avoid dwelling on the Winter shaped hole in his life. They'd had no luck in contacting any ships or anyone else while they'd been stuck on the planet, and he had no idea of Shepard was alive or dead.

He hoped for the first, suspected the latter might be more accurate, but he refused to say it aloud. When the Normandy crew had gathered for a memorial, he'd found himself refusing to put Shepard's name placard on the wall. He'd taken it back to the Captain's quarters he'd once shared with Winter and flung it across the room, refusing to accept that he might never see her again. Hours later, Kaidan Alenko had requested admittance, and the two men had sat for hours drinking what little levo and dexro brandy they'd managed to find on board and reminiscenced about the woman they both loved in their own way.

Somewhere during those hours, Kaidan had finally said something they both knew, aloud.

"I messed up. I let her go," Kaidan admitted. "The truth was there in front of me and I couldn't accept it at the time." He lifted a conflicted gaze to meet Garrus's, and Garrus saw regret, but also a certain acceptance, in that look. "But you were there for her...I can't repair what she and I had, but I can be happy for her, for you, You're a good...person, Garrus Vakarian."

Garrus found himself reaching out and touching the man on the shoulder. "Someday, Kaidan, I think you'll figure out how to move on, and find something that will make you happy."

Kaidan gave him a watery smile. "Maybe...there's a bright future now, without the Reapers. I just might." He looked thoughtful. "I can promise I'll be that uncle that spoils all those little Shepard-Vakarian babies you two will have, or adopt."

Garrus found himself rumbling a chuckle at that, his subharmonics though held a small edge of hysteria.

Kaidan couldn't read subharmonics like Shepard, but he did seem to gather something wasn't quite right. "They'll find her alive. She's too damn stubborn to die again after all this. And I hope you'll let me toast you two at the wedding."

Garrus hummed softly, deciding to take the comfort for what it was. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he'd told Kaidan.

The crew knew he'd already calibrated everything he could down here, but they gave him his peace. In the first few months of voyage after they'd managed to get off the ground, there'd been an eerie silence as they sent out their message, never to get a response. After awhile, it wore on the crew's moral. The fact that a trip that with mass relays would have taken days was now taking months didn't help either.

Garrus closed his eyes and pictured Winter's face, with her blond braid coiled carefully into a bun on her head, her gray eyes serious as they considered the situation they faced on the field, and making quick, calculated decisions that many would have flailed away from.

Years ago, Garrus had happened upon a story about Valkyrie, women warriors from old Earth myths. Seeing Winter in her armor on the field, shotgun held ready as she charged into the fray, reminded him of those old myths. 

Winter was his mate, and Turians mated for life. They'd had only hours together as an officially mated pair, on the battle field no less with no time for much personal exchange, but if something ever happened to her, Garrus would never seek out anyone else. In a few hushed moments after the human ceremony, Winter had told him she wanted a Turian bonding ceremony when it was all over.

He just held onto hope he would be able to give her one.

They were set to reenter the Sol System today. That fact had put a few more smiles on people's faces, though many of them still had friends or family in other systems they hadn't heard from. The Reaper War had brought the galaxy to its knees. It would be years before the Milky Way really recovered.

There was a flicker of Joker's voice over the intercom, and then, "Garrus, get up to Command. We've made contact. There's good news."

Garrus felt himself almost vibrating with hope as he turned and quickly made his way up to the Command center.

Hours later, the crew was celebrating as best they could. There wasn't any party food, everyone was on short rations, Garrus and Tali most of all with limited dextro rations, but the spirit on the Normandy was higher than Garrus had seen it in months.

Winter Shepard was alive. She was still unconscious, a year and a half after they'd found her, but there was brain activity, and that gave them more hope than not. The Normandy was on its way back to the Sol system, back to the semi-reconstructed remains of the Citadel and to Earth. The call had been made for the Normandy to actually dock on earth with the number of repairs the ship still needed. Some of the engineers the Normandy's crew had spoke with were surprised the old girl was still flight capable.

They would reach Earth within a few weeks...Garrus hummed to himself at the thought that he was just weeks away from seeing his mate again. There was still the worry that she wasn't awake yet, but he felt better knowing she was at least alive.

He finally made his way back to the Captain's quarters, needing to be alone for awhile with this new knowledge and hope. There he found himself lying back in the bed he'd shared with Shepard for so many nights that had seemed so finite. He wondered if Shepard would insist on jumping back into the fray, or if she'd really let them retire to somewhere warm and tropical, some place where they could just be together, and perhaps eventually race a family.

He was surprised when the intercom beeped, and Traynor's voice came on. "Officer Vakarian, there is an incoming call for you. Shall I patch it through."

"Er, yes, go ahead," Garrus replied, wondering who could be calling.

He got up and moved to the terminal in the Captain's quarters, trilling softly in shock to see Solana's face flicker across the monitor.

"About time you finally got here, brother," Solana rumbled at him, but from her subvocals he could tell she was happy.

"Solana," he huffed out, thankful to see his sister safe. "Where are you?"

"Father and I are on Earth," she replied. "He's working as a Turian liasion with the temporary council. I've been keeping an eye on your mate. I think perhaps she's just waiting for you to come to wake up."

Solana's admission that she was with Shepard both surprised and pleased him.

"Tell me honestly, Solana, how is she?" Garrus asked, a little desperation in his voice.

"Shepard is lucky she survived," Solana told him bluntly. "But now the doctors believe she will make a good recovery, almost full, according to Ms. Lawson, now that she's in charge of Shepard's recovery. Shepard will eventually be fit for duty again, if she chooses that route."

His sister chirped reassuringly and Garrus felt a fine tension go out of him. "Thank you, Solana," he replied softly.

Solana smiled. "Just make sure you get back here in one piece, brother. I cannot talk for long, but we will talk again later this week, and continue to until you get back. Be safe."

"Be safe, Solana," Garrus replied.

As the feed cut, Garrus slumped back in the chair, feeling true relief flood through him.

Perhaps he and Winter really would get their happy ever after, after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus finally makes it back to his bondmate's side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mass Effect belongs to Bioware

When the Normandy SR-2 finally docked on weeks later, Garrus thought he'd never been so glad to see the Citadel. Even as the Normandy had come in, he could still see where repairs were being made, and certain areas that might never be whole again. But the Citadel, like the Council, like the species of the Milky Way, were rebuilding.

As the crew of the Normandy finally disembarked, Garrus noted the small crowd waiting for them. There were military and civilian officials from humans, Turians, Asari, and Quarians that he could see, as well as what looked like medical staff, waiting patiently and carefully for the crew.

Somewhere behind him, Tali shifted next to a carefully covered gurney that contained EDI's body. Garrus stepped aside to let her pass, and watched Joker limp after her. In the weeks that they'd been in contact with the Citadel, Tali had found out that some of the Quarian scientists had managed to have some success in rebooting a Geth platform, and she wanted them to take a look at EDI. Joker was more than happy to go along for the ride, for a chance for EDI to be brought back.

Garrus Vakarian heaved a sigh, knowing he'd have to subject himself to a full physical before he was allowed to go and see Shepard, but he was one step closer, at least.

He felt some shock ripple through him as he walked down the ramp, realizing that his sister was waiting for him, next to a Turian doctor. Solana Vakarian stepped up to him and pressed her forehead to his in an affectionate gestured, her mandibles twitching. "I came to meet you because I know otherwise you'll work yourself into a frenzy wanting to see your bondmate," she told him calmly. "Let the doctor look you over, then I'll take you to Shepard's room."

"Is she still?" Garrus didn't ask the full question, already having a feeling he knew the answer.

"She is still in a coma, yes," Solana said, trilling softly. "Though there has been increased brain activity in the past few days. At least one of the Doctors, Dr. Michels, has stated she believes Shepard may wake up within the next few weeks."

The soft, humming undertone from his sister subvocals reassured him, and with some reluctance, Garrus submitted himself to be take to the hospital and looked over. The Turian physician remarked that he was impressed by the care Garrus had received from Dr. Chakwas. 

Then, finally, he was allowed to follow his sister through the corridors of the hospital to Shepard's room. As they approached the door, Garrus was surprised to hear a decidedly male Turian voice on the other side, and Solana's mandibles twitched, giving away her own surprise. Slowly, she opened the door.

They were greeted by the sight of Castis Vakarian perched carefully in a chair, holding a data pad and reaching from it. His voice rumbled and growled at certain words as he read the human tale of Beowolf to the unconscious Commander.

Garrus knew the tale, as Winter head read it to him once, after they'd had a long discussion over what their two species considered to be heroic. Garrus had found the story both revealing of human nature, and entertaining.

He had never expected those words to be issuing from his father, however.

Castis's posture changed and his subvocals indicated he knew they were there, but he continued reading for the next several minutes, until he reached an end of one section of the tale. Then, with great dignity, he set the data pad on the beside table and turned to face his rather shocked daughter and son.

"Can a Turian not read to family?" Castis asked in a rumble. "The humans say it is good to read to the injured when they are unconscious. I have been doing so for the past few months with Commander Shepard, though my chosen tales are rather different from your sister's reading selections, I might imagine."

Solana blinked. "When?" she asked at last. "I've never seen you here during visiting hours."

Castis gave a low, Turian chuckle. "Some strings can be pulled, for family to visit beyond normal visiting hours." He gazed at his son then as he rose. "I am a little peeved, my son, that you did not inform me of your bonding before. When your human is awake and recovered, I believe you own Commander Shepard, and your sister and I, a formal bonding ceremony."

"I, er," Garrus wasn't quite sure how to react to that. Finally he straightened. "I was afraid you would disapprove."

Castis nodded, trilling sadly for a moment. "Yes, I can see why. I owe you an apology, Garrus, and one to your Commander. When I first heard you had bonded, I was angry, because you'd bonded with a human, because you hadn't told me. But in the end, I realized it does not matter if she is human. She has more than earned your respect, and mine, and if she makes you happy, can I truly stand in the way of this?"

Garrus felt a weight slip from his shoulders. "Thank you, Father," he said. "If Winter is up for it, I would be honored for you and Solana to witness our bonding ceremony."

Castis clicked in response. "Good. For now, I will leave you two alone. Come and see Solana and I when you are ready."

He paused and touched his son's shoulder in benediction, before he slipped out the door with Solana.

Garrus listened to the door shut, and then took up the chair his father had vacated.

"Can you believe that, Shepard?" he asked softly. "My father wants us to have a proper bonding ceremony." He purred in amusement and reached out, placing his talons over Shepard's fingers. "Now you must wake up, lover, so that I may see those lovely gray eyes again."

Garrus settled in, absently picking up the data pad his father had discarded, and after several minutes, began to read to Shepard.

Some time later, as Garrus reached the end of Beowolf, he glanced down at the datapad, saying aloud. "He died, in the end, slain by a monster he couldn't defeat...I don't want that to be you, Shepard. I want you to live a long life after all of this, hopefully never having to fight another Thresher maw or anything else again.

As he spoke, he heard a sound like gargled laughter, and his eyes jerked up.

Staring back at him, he saw the cool gray eyes of Commander Winter Shepard, and the smile lines around her eyes, as she said.

"I thought we were going to retire somewhere warm and tropical."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus and Shepard discuss the future, and reflect on the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mass Effect belongs to Bioware/EA

Garrus wished he could say everything went smoothly once Shepard awoke. The next several weeks were difficult for them both, though: For Shepard, in dealing with her current physical limitations due to her severe injuries, and for Garrus at seeing his bondmate in pain.

The arrival of Miranda Lawson and her sister, Oriana, gave them more reason to hope, though. Of all the humans who were caring for Shepard's medical needs, Miranda seemed the least surprised that Shepard had survived.

"I still have access to some of my files from project Lazarus," Miranda informed them during a visit one evening. "We'll get you back on your feet, Shepard, back in fighting form." The human woman pursed her lips. "Though you may want to consider retirement. Personally, Shepard, I think you've earned it."

For the short term, once Shepard was released from the hospital, she and Garrus would settle on the Citadel. It seemed to be the best location for the physical therapy Shepard would need for awhile, and the best place to be if they needed to contact anyone.

"Eventually the relays will be working again and Father and I will head back to Palavan to help rebuild," Solana told Shepard and Garrus one afternoon. "At least that's the plan. I think our Councilor is trying to convince Father to stay on and work for him. He's done well in acting as a liaison between the Turians and other races." Solana shrugged lightly. "I've thought about going home, but after the war, after seeing what the Reapers did, I don't know."

"Don't let the Reapers actions stop you from pursing the future you want," Winter told Solana from her hospital bed. "Garrus said once you wanted to have a family someday, that can still happen."

Solana looked somewhat unconvinced. "We'll see," she said, "Once the relays are up for civilian travel."

When Solana was gone, Shepard and Garrus were left alone again. He'd been sleeping on the turian equivalent of a hospital cot since he refused to leave his bondmate again, consequences be damned.

"It wasn't as if I had a real rank in the military these days," he told Shepard. "They don't really need a resident Reaper expert anymore, since you destroyed them. With you is where I belong."

Shepard sighed, running fingers over her freshly buzzed scalp. There was so much else to deal with right now, that having long hair was the last thing on the list of Shepard's needs, along with much personal vanity. "And I belong with you," Winter told him. "I was serious about retiring somewhere warm and tropical. I don't want to be reminded of space, or all those cold planets we visited. I want to set up a home with you, figure out our own way in life."

"You really think the Council is going to let go of one of its best Spectres?" Garrus asked, his mandibles twitching.

"If I get a clean bill of health, they'll certainly try and hold onto me," she replied. Her expression was pensive for a moment. "I'm at least retiring from active Alliance service. I've had my fill of being in the military over the past few years."

That didn't surprise Garrus in the least. "Whatever you decide, I'll be right beside you to support you," he told her.

Garrus leaned over in his chair, touching his forehead lightly to Winter's. She cocked a smile at him and returned the gesture. "I can't wait to get out of this bed and get cleared for more physical activity," she told him in a low voice.

Garrus made a sound almost like a purr in response. "Soon, love, soon," he promised. "Once you're healed, we can see if a Turian-human baby is possible, or if we'll need to adopt."

Her smile was blinding. "I'd like that," she replied. "A family with you."

"A home with you," he replied in turn.

It was almost two months after Garrus returned to his bondmate's side that she was finally, officially released from the hospital on the Citadel. They took up residence in Anderson's old apartment, after Garrus and Solana had overseen the restoration of the place. An Alliance solider had found a copy of Anderson's will, and officially, the place belonged to Shepard now.

The day that Garrus carried Winter across the threshold was bittersweet. Looking around, she had fond memories of their last shore leave here, and a hole in her heart knowing Anderson had once lived here, and would never cross the threshold again.

Garrus set Shepard down on the interior of the threshold, purring at her as she laughed and leaned up carefully to kiss him. Someone, probably James, had told him about the old human custom of carrying a bride over the threshold, and he'd taken great delight in the act. Winter limped over to the couch with the assistance of a cane, her eyes flickering around the apartment. Thanks to Miranda's insistence and her notes, Winter was walking again, with aid, and Miranda was certain she would eventually regain most range of motion. 

For now, Winter was glad to be walking again, to be home with Garrus, alone with her bondmate after so long. Theirs had been a relationship forged in fire and dark times. Now that they faced the idea of peace, she still felt completely confident that she knew who Garrus was, and that he would be there for her, and she for him.

Someone, or someones, probably Solana and Miranda, had ensured the apartment was stocked with both dextro and levo food. That meant that for the next few days, they could just stay in, and spend some much needed quiet time together.

Garrus settled onto the couch beside Shepard, wrapping his arms around her soft, human body, and reveling in how good it felt to hold her again. Before he'd met Shepard, he never would have thought he'd end up with a human, and now he could imagine nothing else.

"What do you think, Shepard, dinner, a vid, and just go from there?" he asked, meeting her gray eyes.

"Something like that," Shepard replied, flashing him again. "We're alone of the first time in weeks, month's really. Dinner can wait."

Garrus considered Shepard, and then then stairs. She laughed when he lifted her up off the couch.

"As my bondmate wishes," he said, growling softly into her neck.

"I wish very much," she replied.

And her laughter followed them up the stairs.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus and Shepard finally have a formal Bonding Ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mass Effect belongs to Bioware
> 
> This is my take on Turian bonding ceremony - it may or may not actually follow what would be canon

Shepard took a deep breath and regarded herself in the mirror. 

If this had been a standard human wedding, she would wear either a dress or her formal military whites. But she and Garrus had already had a short, simple ceremony while in armor, presided over by an Alliance General, just before taking on the Reapers. They'd both agreed they didn't need the traditional fancy human wedding, particularly when they were going to be having a Turian bonding ceremony.

The Turians were a martial people, and had Shepard still formally been a member of the Alliance, she probably would have still worn her dress whites, but she was retired from that, even if she was technically still a Spectre. So somehow, through multiple conversations with her sister in law and father in law, Shepard had ended up in her armor. This set had been specially painted in Vakarian blue and some red and black, an ode to Shepard's favorite colors. 

"Ready?" Solana Vakarian asked from behind Shepard.

Winter took a deep breath and nodded, turning to face Solana. She smiled as her Turian sister in law stepped up to her with a brush in one hand, and a container of what looked like paint in the other. "You may choose to get this tattooed on someday, but for the bonding ceremony we'll stick to paint," Solana told Winter.

Winter closed her eyes as Solana began applying the Vakarian markings to her face. She heard Solana set the brush and paint down a few minutes later and opened her eyes, turning to face the mirror again.

There stood a woman in blue and black armor, with a red strike going down the right arm. Her blond hair was braided and coiled into a bun to fit beneath a helmet, and the Vakarian markings shown proudly in blue against her skin. She glanced back at Solana and offered the other woman a human hug, both avoiding any forehead touches until the paint dried.

"I am so proud to call you sister," Solana told Winter fiercely. "And my father is proud to call you daughter."

Winter smiled. Castis was currently helping Garrus get ready, but the old Turian and taken her aside the night before and told her plainly that he was glad to call her family. He had warmed up to her, and she to him, and Winter knew now that the Vakarians would always be her family, them and the crew of the Normandy.

"Thank you, Solana," Winter told her. She took a deep breath. "Alright, let's do this."

Solana lead Winter from the antechamber where they'd gotten ready, Solana in her own soft armor for the occasion, and into a large hall that they'd rented on the Citadel for this purpose.

While the Council had wanted to make a big to do of Shepard's bonding ceremony, she and Garrus had refused. She might work for the Council, but she didn't owe them everything in her life.

The crew of the Normandy was there, of course, both past and present, and their families: Kaidan, Tali, Grunt, Wrex and Eve, Jack was there with Zaeed, Miranda and Oriana, Jacob with Brynn and their daughter Winter, Karen Chakwas, Steve, James Vega, and even Samara had left her daughter at the monastery to attend. Steve Hacket was there in no official capacity. There were a number of other friends that Shepard and Garrus had made over the years, and a few members of the extended Vakarian family.

Every face Shepard saw showed welcome. 

Garrus was entering from the opposite side of the room, with Castis at his heels, both dressed in blue armor.

An older Turian with deep red markings on her face regarded Garrus and Shepard as they came to stand before her. Winter knew Patia Calatis had served as a General in the Turian military before and during the Reaper War. With high military rank, and a general willingness to work with humans, she'd been an excellent choice to perform the bonding ceremony.

"You stand here, Winter Shepard and Garrus Vakarian, shoulder to shoulder, as partners. You have been partners in battle, and you seek to be partners in life. You have proven to each other than you will watch the other's back. Now you come before me to Bond, for the rest of your lifetimes, and seek the company and steadiness of one another." Patia glanced out across the gathered crowd and nodded as Liara stepped forward from the assembled group to stand behind Solana and Shepard.

"I, Liara T'soni, can attest to the warrior's soul of Winter Shepard. Through peace, pain, and adversity, she holds fast."

There was a shift on Garrus's side of the room, and Kaidan stepped forward as Patia looked at him.

"I, Kaidan Alenko, can attest to the warrior's spirit of Garrus Vakarian. Through peace, pain, and adversity, he holds fast."

This part of the ceremony, Solana and Castis had told Winter, was usually done by a comrade in arms, someone who could attest to the strength and worthiness of the individuals taking part in the bonding ceremony.

Patia nodded, satisfied with the words of human and Asari, and turned her gaze back to Shepard and Garrus.

"Garrus Vakarian," Patia said. "Will you honor Winter Shepard as your Bond mate, guard her and your family, to stand with her through peace and adversity?"

"I will honor Winter Shepard as my Bond Mate, for the rest of my life," Garrus rumbled.

Patia turned her gaze to Shepard. "And will you, Winter Shepard, honor Garrus Vakarian as your Bond mate, guard him and your family, to stand with him through peace and adversity?"

"I will honor Garrus Vakarian as my Bond Mate, now and always," Winter replied.

"Then I shall witness, and bless, the bonding between Garrus Vakarian and Winter Shepard. Let all know that these two are bondmates, from this day and onward." Patia's vocalizations echoed through the room, and Winter caught the joyful undercurrent of Patia's subvocals.

Shepard and Garrus turned to each other, and slowly, pressed their foreheads against one another. A cheer rang through the crowd, and clapping, as Shepard savored the closeness of her bondmate.

"Welcome to the family," Castis rumbled as Shepard and Garrus finally pulled apart, pulling her into a half hug. Solana returned the gesture.

Patia almost purred the next words, carefully chosen after long conversation with Shepard and Garrus.

"I have the honor of presenting the bond mates, Garrus Shepard-Vakarian, and Winter Shepard-Vakarian. May they live well together, all their days."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The future for Shakarian, Turian-Human baby by request of some of my commenters. Thank you so much to everyone who read, kudoed, and commented!
> 
> Heads up this chapter does contain some of my thoughts on the Turian-Human baby and some of the challenges such a child would face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mass Effect belongs to Bioware

Garrus Vakarian watched through the plastic side of the incubator that held Naelia Ashley Shepard-Vakarian as her little chest moved up and down in dearly fought for breaths. The first several hours after her birth had been touch and go, and she was still hooked up to machines and very carefully monitored, two days after her birth. She was alive, though, alive and the doctors, both human and Turian, were hopeful.

The proud father pressed his talons lightly against the side of the incubator, and his daughter appeared to turn her head, and while her eyes didn't open, she seemed to sense his light tapping on the plastic.

"Little thing, but baby Turians usually are," Castis Vakarian rumbled from where he stood beside his son. "She'll get bigger though. Might have a few challenges, but she's a little fighter, just like her father and mother."

Garrus hummed in agreement, glancing at his father. Castis was a bit reserved when they'd announced eight months ago that Winter was expecting a child. Turian-human hybrids simply didn't exist, and the fact that a human had somehow managed to get pregnant by a Turian had caused quite a stir in the medical communities of both species. Winter's pregnancy had been very closely monitored, and she'd had to receive regular doses of medication that would keep her body from trying to reject their child. For all that Shepard had survived, the pregnancy had scared Garrus almost more than anything else, even the time Shepard had faced a Leviathan.

Miranda Lawson had provided insight on the entire thing, and had been with Winter almost from the beginning of the pregnancy, carefully monitoring her friend. Evidently some of the augmentations that Cerberus and Project Lazarus had given Shepard the ability to actually conceive with Garrus. Conceiving their daughter hadn't been the difficult part. Carrying the pregnancy to term and ensuring that Shepard's body didn't reject the baby had. With the issues between a levo based parent and a dextro based parent, Naelia faced an uphill battle.

In the end, it appeared that a great deal of her genetics and her development had come from the Turian side. Garrus recalled the ultrasound they'd done at five months when Shepard had been ordered to bedrest. It had driven his active bondmate crazy, but she'd gritted her teeth and gone through with it for their daughter.

Garrus wasn't sure that either of them ever wanted to go through all of that again, particularlly with the challenges that Naelia would face.

But their daughter was completely worth it, Shepard had told him, tiredly, for the few moments she'd been able to hold their daughter after the emergency c-section, just before the baby had been whisked off by the doctors.

"I can see a bit of you in her," Castis remarked as he regarded his granddaughter. "But a bit of her mother as well. In the face, it's a bit different than ours." He tilted his head. "I'm glad you two named her after your mother."

"A bit, yes," Garrus acknowledged. It seemed odd, in some ways, to see the plates so common on Turians on pinkish human skin. "And the name was Winter's idea."

He and Shepard were going to have their work cut out for them protecting their daughter, he thought, from someone trying to turn her into a science experiment.

Miranda had already offered her help on that, in fact pretty much everyone from the Normandy had.

The Turian Hierarchy was completely unsure how to take the news.

They faced, in many ways, an uncertain future.

Garrus felt his father's talons on his shoulder.

"All of this will work out, somehow," Castis told his son. "And my granddaughter has a verittable army ready to defend her if necessary, though I have a feeling that as she grows, she will learn to protect herself."

"Long way from those first days, isn't it, Castis?" Shepard's amused voice said a bit further down the hall. Garrus and his father glanced up to see Winter wheeling herself towards them. She was still recovering from the c-section that had been necessary to give birth to their daughter, but Garrus knew she was happy to be at least able to move about, even if she was confined to a chair for now. Miranda told them Shepard would be back on her feet within a few more days.

"We've both come a long way," Castis agreed as he greeted her. "How are you feeling, Winter?"

"Better," Winter acknowledged, glancing through the plastic incubator at her daughter. "Nice to actually be able to eat again."

"I can imagine," Castis rumbled. He put his talons on Shepard's shoulder for a moment then nodded to them both. "I'll see you both later."

The two new parents were left watching their daughter. Garrus turned to Shepard and leaned over, brushing his forehead to hers, and she smiled, returning the gesture, before she kissed him. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Garrus purred. "She is." He smiled as he ran a talon along Shepard's cheek. "Just like her mom."

Winter chuckled. "Well, at least now we know what a Turian-Human baby looks like."

"That we do," Garrus agreed.

They both fell silent as Winter took Garrus's talons in her hand, content to quietly watch their daughter. They'd come a long way, and they still had a lot further to go. But they would do it together, as a family. After all Shepard had lost, that, she thought, was perhaps the best thing of all.


End file.
